Glassell Park

Glassell Park

Glassell Park is a neighborhood in northeast Los Angeles that borders Atwater Village and the Los Angeles River on the west, the city of Glendale on the northwest, Eagle Rock on the northeast, Mount Washington on the southeast and Cypress Park on the south. The neighborhood is located in the typically hilly region of the county and offers spectacular views of the valleys and Downtown L.A. from various vantage points. Glassell Park is one of the largest areas of Northeast Los Angeles and has a variety of pocket communities within its borders. The neighborhoods of Mt. Washington andVerdugo Village both fall in the area of Glassell Park.

The land that would later become Glassell Park was originally part of Rancho San Rafael, granted in 1784 to Spanish army corporal JoséMaríaVerdugo. Glassell Park was named for Andrew Glassell, an early land owner, prominent Los Angeles attorney, and the first president of the Los Angeles County Bar Association. Glassell, born on a plantation called Richland, in Virginia, to a family whose roots in America predated the Revolutionary War, headed west during the California Gold Rush of the mid-19th century and received part of Rancho San Rafael as part of the Great Partition of 1871. The development of Glassell Park began in the early 20th Century, as subdivisions between Verdugo and San Fernando Roads began to be sold in 1907. In 1912, the city of Los Angeles annexed most of Glassell Park, annexing the remainder in 1916.

Today, Glassell Park is rediscovering its history from the Verdugo era. Glassell Park hosts the historical road of trade between the Verdugo Rancho and the fledging Pueblo of Los Angeles. This road is called Verdugo Road, which historically met up with San Fernando Road. In addition to the community pride and interest in its roots, Glassell Park has been experiencing gentrification, as young urban professionals have moved from nearby neighborhoods such as Los Feliz and Silver Lake. There has also been and influx of middle-class families and trendy hipsters moving into the neighborhood, attracted by the abundance of Craftsman homes, breathing room and relatively low prices. The character and view homes are also extremely desirable in the upper end pockets of the area.

Thoroughfares running through Glassell Park provide relatively easy access to most parts of Los Angeles, including Burbank Airport, the L.A. Zoo, Universal Studios, Pasadena and more. The Glendale Freeway runs through the neighborhood, connecting with the Ventura Freeway to the north and with the Golden State Freeway to the south and terminating shortly thereafter at Glendale Boulevard. Major arterial streets include Eagle Rock Boulevard and San Fernando Road. Glassell Park also has a designated bike lane along Eagle Rock Blvd. south of York.